Improvement in seeding-machines



HV.A A. GASTON.

'Seed Dropper,

Patented Nov. 31868.

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` The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all-'whom it ma/y concern Be itknown that I, Hanni.7` A. GASTON, of the city of Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Img provemen'ts in Seeding-Machines, for the sowing of cereals broadcast; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a-pait of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top or plan view of my grain-sower, with the relief-board, H, removed, to show the rotating shaft D, with its fingers (Z, and a system of fixed iingers or teeth, projecting to the shaft from the inner surface of the bin in which the grain is placed.

Figure 2 shows a central vertical section ofthe maf chine, the relief-board being still removed.

Figure 3 represents a series of 'stationary lingers or teeth, arranged parallel to each other, and extending om end to end ofthe bin, within. V p

Figure 4 represents the relief-board of the machine.

Figure 5 represents an end view'of all parts of the machine, one end of the bin being removed.

Figures 6 and 7 show a system of pulleys, with ropebelt, .for causing the shaft D of the machine to rotate.

Figure 8 shows a system of gearing, for the object last named.

Figure 9 shows an end view of the rotating shaft, provided with ngers or teeth, extending outward from it in different directions. I,

Figure 10 is a detached view of the valve-slide.

The same letters refer to like parts of the machine in all the figures.

A represents the bin; B, a system of stationary iingers or teeth, within the bin C, the bottom ofthe bin, perforated with valves or discharging-milices I1: ,t C', the

valve-slide, working under the bottom, C, of the bin, and

provided with a spur, c', projecting from the same, 1n the same plane and at right angles, and extending beyond the side of the bin, and protruding through upright levers on the outside of the box,the said 1evers receiving the usual reciprocal motion, which is communicated by means ofthe spurs to the valve-slide. To accommodate the spurs, and to give room for this movement, I cut a space on the top of the axle or bedpiece of the bin, of sufficient length to permit the spurs 'to move far enough in one direction to open the discharging-orifices completely, and no more, and to move in the opposite direction far enough to close those oriflces entirely. By this novel contrivance, 1 keep the inner side of my bin wholly free `from levers, nuts, and other protuberances, which intelfcrewith the grain, while, at the same time, I can morereadily open and close the discharging-orifices than by the means already used D, the rotating shaft, provided with its fingers as at a N, the relief-board, with or without-screen-spikes,

and S the scatter-board of the machine. f represents a single fixed finger, and the office of the otherletters will be understood without explanation.

To enable others skilled in the ant to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation more minntely.

I construct my grain-sewers or seeding-machines of any desired length, say from twenty inches toas many feet, (of which the drawings would represent sections on a scale of an inch to one foot,) and vertically, -of a triangular form, the b in being open at the top, and of the width and depth of about sixteen inches, the general forni of` the machine being shown by combining figs. l, 2, and 5. l

Near the bottom of this triangular box, and extending through it from end to end, and through one or both its ends, I place a shaft, D, either rotating or oscillating, which shaft I make either of iron, as gas-pipe, or of wood.

This shaft I provide with 'teeth or fingers d, which I make of rod-iron, of about one-fourth of an inch in .diameter, and about three inches in length. These ngers extend through the shaft, say at right angles to each other consecutively, 'and at any desired distance apart, butnot nearer than one inch from each other. Theseiingers I arrange in such a novel manner, that, when the shaft is rotated or oscilla-ted, one of the fingers passes upon one side ofthe valve or dischargingorifice c, while the next succeeding tooth or finger follows it uponthe opposite side of the valve.

By this novel arrangement, the grain in the bin is constantlyv being stirred toward the discharging-orifice c, and regularly dropped therefrom upon the scatterboard S.

I deem it unimportant to describe any kind of gearingor pulleys for rotating the shaft of my machine, because I use, indiscriminately, either small gearing, as that represented at g', fig. l, and y and g, iig. 8, or pulleys like those shown at P., fig. 2, and P and P'f, figs. 6 and?, which I propel with rope-belts. For reciprocating the shaft, I use a ptman and pulleys. I also refrain from connecting a representation of any other machine with my grain-sewer, because I use, and intend to use it, by itself, as a simple broadcast grainsower, running on wheels, and provided with tongue, or without tongue, or at the front end of a harrow, gangplow, cultivator, or other machine, as circumstances, economy, or convenience may demand. The gearing and pulleys shown, therefore, are Aintended to represent the universal. application of myl machine as a grainsower, propelledby wheels of any kind. The ofce 0f the scatter-board S is simply toscatter the kernelsof grain as they tall upon it from the valves or ports u.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letter Patent, is- Y l. Therotatingiingersdwhen constiuctedto operate between fixed ngers,f,ofa grain-sowing machine, subof a grain-sowing machine, substantially as above destantially as above described. scribed.

2.' The combination andarrangement of the rotating 3. The spur c', in combination with the slide C', subshaft D, and its fingers (l, with the stationary ngers, stlantialiy as above described. f, andthe further combination and arrangement of the Witnesses: 'HENRY A. GASTON. relieilboard H with the remaining internal machinery f T. G. HUMPHREY, Y Y

H. WILLIAMS. 

